Apr

01

2010

The European aeronautical group EADS has announced to submit a proposal through its subsidiary EADS north America for the US Air Force’s tanker modernisation programme, a contract which will involve the manufacture of 179 aircraft with a value of $35 billion (26.055 billion euros) but which could even reach $100 billion (74.415 billion euros) through maintenance agreements and future orders.

The Chairman of EADS in the U.S.A., Ralph Crosby, announced that the group will submit the KC-45 tanker, and that in the end it will present its proposal as prime contractor following the withdrawal of its partner, northrop Grumman. The CEO of the company in north America, Sean O’Keefe, clarified that it will have the support of more than 200 companies which will act as suppliers, including important names such as General Electric and Honeywell.

The KC-45 is the U.S. military version of the A330 MRTT (Multi Role Tanker Transport), 28 units of which have already been ordered by four U.S. allies. If EADS manages to secure this contract the Spanish aeronautical industry will receive an important boost, as it may be responsible for between 10 and 15 per cent of the total workload. This will signify a new business opportunity for Andalusian firms in the sector, some of which are already working on the A330 MRTT programme.

Since 2004 promoting the development of the Andalusian Aerospace Cluster supporting all the cluster's stakeholders, as well as to providing subcontractors with the technical resources to ensure a better integration with contractor companies.